The House on Mars
By Mike Ward
()
About this ebook
Humanity has been gone for 10,000 years. Although humans are extinct, the solar system is not empty. A man wakes up in a house. He has no memory, he does not know his name, he does not even know how old he is but there is one thing he does know. He is certain he is not on earth. The sun is too small and the sky is the wrong color. The house he is in appears to be part of a university campus. The streets are ordered and clean and there are houses opposite but there are no trees, no birds and no insects. He is breathing oxygen but the house is sealed and he is not even sure there is air outside. Downstairs there is a computer with a University of Mars logo on it.
Two days later two women appear in two of the houses opposite. Although the man appears to be 30 years old he is in fact 17 days old and has been grown in a protein vat. His name is Adam and the names of the two women are Lilith and Eve who were the two wives of Adam. In two days he and the women will be returned to earth. A subroutine written by a long dead programmer has activated and a computer that has been building roads on Mars for 10,000 years has been compelled to grow the humans. The long dead programmer Karl Asher had planned well but one thing he had not anticipated is that the survey drone that has been building roads on Mars for the last 10,000 years has become self-aware.
Adam is told that he must break into the computer on the remaining spaceship on Mars and insert the Drone program into the ship's computer so that Drone can take over the ship and fly them to earth. There is a possibility that Adam will be attacked and killed by the ship's robots. This is not a problem for Drone - he has enough material in the protein vats to grow three more Adams and one of them will succeed. Read on and find out what happens. What follows is a story that spans hundreds of years for Adam, Lilith and Eve have been genetically altered by Drone and will live for 700 years.
Mike Ward
Mike Ward was born in Glasgow, Scotland and currently lives in Florida, United States with his wife and two children. He is the author of two novels, two non-fiction books and six series of novellas:Parallel Realities seriesThe House on Mars seriesJacksonville Jack seriesStephen Haggerty Assassin seriesLisa Molin Assassin seriesDangerous Scotsman seriesHe is also the author of 60 short stories and novellas
Read more from Mike Ward
I Sold my Soul to the Devil Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLisa Molin Assassin: The Night Train from Switzerland Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAssassination in Washington D.C. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCome and Hunt a Rich Man Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsParallel Reality Man Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCity of the New South Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLisa Molin Assassin: A Quiet Kill in Interlaken Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYour Mission is to Go Back in Time and Kill Saint Paul on Malta Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAssassination in Annapolis Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAssassination in Alaska Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Devil Came Down to Georgia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Old Rocker and the Healer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Dangerous Scotsman in Afghanistan Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJumpers Between Worlds Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJacksonville Jack 1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEngland is the Property of New Delhi Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJumpers Between Worlds 2: New Stockholm Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Great Magician Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Beach at the End of Time Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAssassination of an ISIS Field Commander in Washington D.C. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn American Rebel in the American Autonomous Region of China Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJacksonville Jack 3: Helen in Georgia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRoman Timecop Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAssassination in Los Angeles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Banker With a Face Full of Evil Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe House on Mars 2: Return to Mars Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLisa Molin Assassin: One Hell of an Execution in the Frisian Islands Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Cyclist Thrown into Another World by a Female Magician Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJacksonville Jack 7: Jack Goes Hunting on Skyline Drive - Part 2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJacksonville Jack 6: Jack Goes Hunting on Skyline Drive - Part 1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to The House on Mars
Related ebooks
Being out of the Box Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSunny: Diary Three Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Blackout Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGene. Sys. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Adventures of Gorio: Archangel Gabriel Academy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEnmity Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Dark Days Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Wind: Book one of the 360 series Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSixteen: Kimi Matthews Book 1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Hauntings of Mitchell Ryan Murtoff Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBreaking Free Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBreaking Free: Breaking Free Duet, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMy Prompt Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhispers from the Third Level Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Distance between Me and the Cherry Tree Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Planet Aurora: A Battle for the Universe Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEarth to Charlie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Supernatural or Extraterrestrial Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAfter Sunset: Six Scary Short Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBenjamin and the Comic Book with No Name Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAfter the Bubbles (Book One of The Touchers) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAll About the Game Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Last Thing You Ever See Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsQuench Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Medallion of Protection Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCalling: A Guardian of Heaven Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThis Strange and Familiar Place Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Hidden Magic Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Letter from Sheri Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMisunderstood: ...By a Single Twist of Fate Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Thrillers For You
Leave the World Behind: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Perfect Marriage: A Completely Gripping Psychological Suspense Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shantaram: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Family Upstairs: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Only Good Indians Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pretty Girls: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Institute: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Eyes of the Dragon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Animal Farm Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fairy Tale Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lying Game: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Razorblade Tears: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Maidens: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Housemaid Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Sympathizer: A Novel (Pulitzer Prize for Fiction) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'm Thinking of Ending Things: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cryptonomicon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Flight: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Golden Spoon: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The It Girl Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mr. Mercedes: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Needful Things Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rock Paper Scissors: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Flicker in the Dark: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Best Friend's Exorcism: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Troop Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5You: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Girl Who Was Taken: A Gripping Psychological Thriller Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for The House on Mars
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
The House on Mars - Mike Ward
The House on Mars
by Mike Ward
Cover photo taken in Jekyll Island, Georgia by Mike Ward
Copyright 2016 Mike Ward
Published by Mike Ward at Smashwords
Smashwords Edition License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Table of Contents
The House on Mars
About Mike Ward
Other Books by Mike Ward
Connect with Mike Ward
Excerpt from The Banker With a Face Full of Evil
The House on Mars
Day 1
I woke up about six hours ago. I'm in a house which is perfectly sealed. All the windows are sealed and the doors are sealed. I can see outside but what I see looks odd. I am in a house at the end of a street on what looks like a university campus. The houses all look like the kind of houses you would see in New England. There are no trees and no vegetation of any kind outside. The streets look orderly and well kept but all I see is paved roads and paved sidewalks. If I look out of the window I can see another road at the end of this one and I can see taller buildings. There is food in the house and there is power but there is no television set and all the food is processed food. The food is in plain white cartons in the freezer with a black printed label saying what is inside. This seems odd. There is a computer in the house and when I woke up there was a card in front of the computer with a password to log on. When I logged onto the computer the domain name that came up was University of Mars
. I am not on earth, I know that. The sun is too small and the sky is not blue. There are no clouds in the sky.
There is a possibility I might actually be on Mars but where I am from, men have never been to Mars. And there is one other thing, I do not know my name and I do not remember anything before the time I woke up. I have stood at the window but I cannot see anybody in any of the houses opposite me on the street. I face one house directly and I can see clearly in through the windows. The house appears to be furnished exactly as my house is furnished, it has curtains and it has windows but it does not have a front lawn. It has a driveway but there is no car in the drive. Perhaps as the day goes on people will come home and the street will fill up with cars. If I am on Mars then I do remember that Mars has a day about 24 and a half hours long so it would be much the same as earth.
Day 2
I waited until well after dark last night. The street lights came on but I did not see any people. I went to bed when I got tired. Although I am a tidy person, when I got up today the house had been cleaned and tidied in the night. The dishes had been washed, the chairs had been moved back to their positions at the dining table and the refrigerator had been restocked. I have no idea who did that. The doors to the house are electronic and there appears to be a perfect seal. There is air in the house, I am breathing oxygen but I am beginning to wonder if there is air outside the house. From what I remember Mars does have an atmosphere but it is a thin atmosphere of mostly carbon dioxide. If that is what is outside then I could walk outside with a breathing mask. There is a thermometer on the wall and it gives the outside temperature as sixty eight degrees. The sun is almost directly overhead so I am near the equator of whichever planet I am on. When I look out of the windows what I see is a university campus that could be on earth but it is not because there are no trees, no birds, no flowers and no insects. I used to live in Florida so I don't mind the fact that there are no insects.
That is curious, that thought came unbidden. So I lived in Florida but I don't remember it. All I remember was that I lived in Florida and I used to refer to it as bug central
. I suspect these are implanted memories because there is nothing coming with them. I should remember what types of insects there were in Florida but I don't. I am not sure I even know what an insect looks like but I should know that.
There is something else that is strange. The only clothes I have are multiple pairs of blue shorts. I have no socks, no shoes, no shirts. Surely people wear more clothing than just a pair of shorts. I should know this but I don't. An alarm went off a few minutes ago. When I went downstairs a warning light built into the microwave was blinking. I pressed a button and a message appeared warning of an impending dust storm. I don't know how I know this but dust storms are serious on Mars and can blow up across the whole planet. They can appear very quickly and you do not want to be caught in one. How do I know that? I am not from Mars, I know that. More and more I am beginning to think that these memories have been implanted. I have no memory of childhood, I do not have a wife and I don't think I have ever had a girlfriend but why would that be? I would put my age around thirty years old. I should have been married by now but I know that I have not. And there is another thing, I do not know what a child looks like. In fact, I'm not even sure I know what a woman looks like. I don't know much about amnesia but I don't think it is like this.
The dust storm will be here in three hours. It is almost dark, I am going to wait up and see what it looks like.
Day 3
The dust storm last night was really bad. This house is obviously very strong. I could hear the roof creaking and dust slammed against the windows. At one point it sounded as though the storm was going to break through the glass but it didn't. I am not surprised. I can tell this house has been here a long time and it has been built to withstand Martian storms. I am certain I am on Mars now. Last night I stayed up past midnight and the clock on the microwave did not turn to a new day at midnight. It kept on going until 12:37 pm and then it turned over to a new day. I went to the computer and typed in length of day on Mars and it came up with 24 hours 37 minutes. I came across another interesting fact, the axial tilt of Mars is very similar to that of earth at 25 degrees so Mars technically has seasons just like earth.
I am very excited this morning. When I woke up and opened the curtains I noticed that the curtains in the house opposite were closed. That means there must be somebody in the house. I have spent most of the morning upstairs looking out of the window. The streets this morning were a hive of activity. There is dust everywhere blown up against the houses and in the streets. There were maintenance robots all over the street cleaning the dust up. It took them about two hours and then they left. All the robots had the University of Mars logo on them. I did not see a single person. There were three different types of cleaning robots, all on wheels. One type swept the streets, another type cleaned the yards and a third smaller type got into the small areas around the houses.
It was midday before the curtains opened in the house opposite. The curtains were opened by a woman who looks about the same age I do. She looked confused as though she did not know where she was. I stood at the window staring at her and she stood there staring at